This invention generally relates to Internet, or on-line, services, and more specifically, to on-line services that are accessed through mobile wireless devices.
People are increasingly accessing Internet on-line services through their mobile wireless devices, such as smartphones. These services might include, for example financial services, gaming, auctions and shopping. As a result of this increased use of these mobile devices to access on-line services, the providers of these services have updated their offerings and infrastructure to accommodate their mobile customers better and to address unique characteristics and constraints of mobile wireless devices. For example, banks are providing custom applications that can be installed in mobile devices and that give custom interfaces that improve the quality of the user experience (QoE).
Typically, when a person uses a mobile wireless device to access an on-line Internet service, the person accesses the service via a cellular network, operated by a cellular company, or CelCo, having wireless access. The cellular network is between the user and the on-line service provider and the service provider is referred to as being on the other side of the cellular network from the user. Because the service provider is on this other side of the network, it may be very difficult for the service provider to optimize its operations to the dynamic behavior and needs of their customers. For example, it may be difficult for the service provider to respond quickly to the ever changing spatiotemporal context of the customers. This is because the CelCo networks that transport the user data serve as dumb bit pipes that carry data packets back and forth between the customers and the on-line service providers, and do not allow for any configuration of the quality of transmission or other operating characteristics by the service provider.